


Honey Bee

by Tyranno



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Character Study, Felix is the bee akuma, Gen, Has this been done yet?, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:23:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7466721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyranno/pseuds/Tyranno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange new akuma helps paris' dynamic duo in their time of need--but what is his connection to Chat Noir's past, and how will Adrien cope when that past comes back to haunt him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Honey Bee

**Author's Note:**

> Mainly written because I was trying to figure out Felix's personality as a 3d character. Not sure if I succeeded but this fic was pretty fun to write regardless. Also yes--felix's transformation command is "Wax on/Wax off."

“Face it, Ladybug! You are never going to beat me in time!” The villain bobbed gently, suspended in the brilliant Paris sky. He threw his arms up and behind him the heavy stonework inched upwards with a sickening groan. 

Ladybug threw out a line but the villain flicked his wrist and the wire buckled, sending the yo-yo clattering back to the ground. Chat Noir tried to vault upwards but the baton glowed green and was swept out from under him. 

Ladybug pushed her hair back from her face and tried hard to stop frustration from rising in her chest. “What do we do now? We can't get up there if he keeps deflecting our equipment!” 

Chat Noir shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Give up, Lady-brat!” The villain made another grand gesture and behind him the stone moved a little further up the tower. “Soon the Mayor will be trapped in my prison of stone and you'll have no choice but to hand over your miraculouses! Then the whole of Paris will bow to the Stone Mason!”

“Hey!” Chat Noir threw his staff at him, “Don't call my lady a brat!” 

The Stone Mason deflect it and dragged the stone a little higher. 

Ladybug huffed and tried to secure a line again, to no avail. This couldn't have gone any worse if she'd tried—she couldn't even reach the villain yet, she'd called her lucky charm too early and the villain had just deflected it, and to make matters worse she'd had to duck away from the fight for five minuets or so while Tikki recharged. Chat had been nice about it but she couldn't feel more useless. 

The best they could do was try to delay the Stone Mason until they figured something out, and if that didn't work, they might be able to get rid of the akuma when the Stone Mason came down to get their miraculouses. All in all it was a pretty poor plan, but better than nothing. 

The wind howled in the distance, sharp like the whine of a dog. 

Air slammed into Ladybug from behind, sending her reeling forwards, yo-yo dropping and rolling out of reach. The Stone Mason wavered in the air and crashed into the tower, the stone dropping with a colossal noise onto the street. 

Chat Noir recovered in time to see a bright streak of yellow in the blue summer sky. 

A low buzz swooped past Ladybug's ears and something heavy dropped in front of her. She glanced up to see the Stone Mason, holding his head a little woozily. 

“Quickly!” A voice she didn't recognised snapped, “Before he regains his senses! The akuma's in his wrist-watch!” 

Ladybug yanked the watch from him and quickly banished the dark butterfly. She watched the familiar rush of red return everything to normal—in a flurry the mayor was brought down from the tower and Stone Mason's heavy suit melted away—with a dazed look. “What just happened?” She asked nobody in particular. 

“Uhh,” A stone mason grumbled, rubbing his head sourly, “I was just about to ask the same thing. God, my head.”

“I'm sorry about that.” A voice said, “I suppose I was a little overzealous.” The voice was odd—the accent was sharp and clear, like it hadn't quite soften to the gentle vowels of French. 

Ladybug glanced at him.

The man was tall and very yellow. Three thick bands of black stretched over his chest, arms and legs, giving his limbs an oddly thin look. From a distance it looked like the yellow on his shoulders and chest was so bright it actually glowed, but up close she realised his suit was actually covered in very fine, dusty fur that was longer over his shoulders and chest like a small ruff. 

The man tapped himself lightly on the head in mock exasperation, “My apologies, Madame ladybug! I have forgotten to introduce myself,” He pressed a hand to his chest, “I am Monsieur B.” 

“Uh—it's nice to meet you, Monsieur B!” Ladybug smiled, good mood quickly returning. She extended a hand, “I'm Ladybug! And that's Chat Noir.” 

Monsieur B kissed the back of Ladybug's hand delicately, “It is an honour to meet you both. I've heard so much about you.” 

“And I've heard about you,” Chat Noir grinned, “the media is simply abuzz with your activity in Stuttgart!” 

Monsieur B raised a honey-coloured brow and said nothing. 

“Monsieur B!” The Mayor said, stepping out of the rubble with Chloe tight against his side, “I don't know who you are but you have my deepest gratitude.” 

Monsieur B bowed deeply, “It was an honour, Monsieur Mayor. Now, if you'll excuse me—”

Monsieur B lifted onto his toes and with a start Ladybug realised he had wings, paper-thin, nearly translucent wings that fluttered delicately in the breeze, nearly as tall as he was. They began to beat, a low thrum like a generator. 

“Wait!” Ladybug caught Monsieur's wrist and the wings stilled. The fabric under her fingers was surprisingly cold and slippery, “It's just… I—we—don't know you very well and...” 

“You want to make sure I'm legitimate,” Monsieur B spread his hands out, “I totally understand. Meet me until the Eiffel tower at Midnight.” 

“The Eiffel tower? They'll be lots of people around,” Ladybug said nervously. 

“There's always lots of people around,” Monsieur B lifted off to hover a few feet above the ground, “This is Paris!” 

 

*

 

Adrien woke up and for a moment wondered what was wrong. 

The gentle morning sun streamed through the tall windows and he blinked up at the beautiful blue heavens. Summer-green trees waved gently and pristine white buildings stretched on to meet the horizon. 

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and glanced around. 

And then he realised. Nobody had woken him up. Nobody opened his door and reeled off a long list of extra-curricular activities or reminded him about his homework or various boring dinners he had to attend with his father. He couldn't even hear anybody outside his door or on the stairs. 

The morning was silent.

He showered and dressed quickly and padded down the wide, sweeping staircase. The house always felt bare and empty, like a tomb, but it had been so long since he'd been home without being directed around that he was feeling a little freaked out. 

Adrien stuck his head around the door to Nathalie's study. 

“—already told you, you don't have to know his name, he won't be using it,” Nathalie snapped, scribbling down something in her notepad, “Just tell me if anyone matching his description shows up! _Thank you_.” 

She slammed the phone down and began typing furiously. 

“Um, Nathalie?” Adrien asked.

Nathalie glanced up and sighed. “Adrien. I'm sorry, I forgot to wake you up,” She tugged a notepad out from a draw, “Here's an itemised list of your extra-curricular activities for today.” 

Adrien stuffed it in his pocket, “What's going on?” 

Nathalie's lips thinned. “Adrien… you know your mother has been missing for eight years now. She had legally been presumed dead.” 

Adrien swallowed thickly, “I know.” 

“Your father and her did not sign a prenuptial agreement. Her will is confusing, and leaves a lot of her own and your father's wealth to you and your brother,” She said, “With a good lawyer your brother could put a serious dent in your father's accounts.” 

“Felix?” He asked, frowning. 

“Yes,” She glanced up at him, “If you see him, tell me immediately.” 

Adrien nodded vaguely and padded out. 

He hadn't seen his brother in a long time. His memories of him were tied up with his brother's shouting matches with their father, smashing vases and slamming doors. Felix was the only person who could get under Gabriel Agreste's skin so quickly—zero in any weakness, any vulnerability and exploited it ruthlessly. Gabriel's smooth poker face shattered under the Felix's razor-sharp barbs. 

Adrien hadn't thought about him for years. He hadn't seen him since he was seven and Felix had finally been old enough to leave home—and he'd left for good. Honestly, Adrien had been more than a little scared of him. He seemed to be angry all the time, and always shouting. 

But the more he thought about it, as he finished breakfast and scooted into the limo, the more he remembered. He remembered a long time ago—back when he mother was still around—Felix reading him bedtime stories and teaching him how to tell the time. He remembered sitting with Felix and their mother and watching old movies and eating popcorn. He remembered when the house didn't feel so empty and lonely. 

They arrived at school a little earlier than usual, and as Felix exited the car in silence, he decided he liked it. It was nice to be alone for a while. 

A gaggle of students hung around the gates, talking and sharing comics, but there was nobody from his class. A few waved at him and he smiled back. He stretched out his legs and sat down on the stone stairs, enjoying the sunshine on his face. 

“Marinette!” someone shouted, “Marinette, did you hear about the bee-superhero who's turned up?” 

Adrien opened an eye and watched Alya tug Marinette out from behind the stairs where she'd apparently been hiding. Marinette's eyes met his and she turned pink. 

“Y-yes,” Marinette said, “What about it—him?” 

“Well, I was thinking, why would a superhero who frequents Germany come all the way to Paris, huh? What're they doing here, and then I realised!” Alya beamed. 

“Realised what?” Marinette asked, frowning. 

“They're going to start a league!” Alya grinned. 

“A league?” 

“Yes! Like the League of Justness!” Alya dug a comic out of her bag, “Look, what happens when you've got all the super-heros in different cities, but they need to coordinate in order to stop an alien invasion?” 

“An... _alien invasion_?!” Marinette muttered nervously, “I don't think I—uh, Ladybug could deal with an alien invasion...” 

“I bet she could!” Alya said, “But if she can't, she need a way to contact the other heroes, right? So they can act in sync. That's what a league is for, it's like a team. Now with Chat Noir and Ladybug, that's a dynamic duo, it's not a team. They're like partners. But with a league...” 

Adrien tuned out the rest of the conversation, resting back against the stone wall. The sunshine was nice. Through half-closed eyes he watched leaves twirl in the summer breeze. 

“Hey, sleepy head,” A voice said near his ear. 

Adrien almost jumped out of his skin. He leapt to his feet and stared down a familiar face. 

“Felix?” Adrien breathed. It was different, actually seeing him. It was more real, somehow.

Felix watched him from the other side of the stone wall, blinking slowly like a lazy fox. His face was very different to how Adrien remembered it, soft where it had once been hard, calm where it had once been hateful. There was also a surprisingly strong resemblance to their father too—Felix had the same dark, blue-black eyes and silvery blonde hair. 

“Adrien,” Felix smiled warmly. 

“What are you doing here?” Adrien asked.

“It's been a while,” Felix said, “I thought I might spend some time with my little brother, if that was alright with you.” 

“I have school in a few minutes,” Adrien glanced back at the gaggle of students. 

“Ditch school,” Felix said. 

“What?!” Adrien yelped.

“You heard me,” Felix grinned. 

“I can't do that!” Adrien hissed, “I'm hardly allowed to go to school! If I did something like that I'd just be back at home the whole time.” 

“Trust me, you can ditch school for today. You already know all of it. Father will be too preoccupied looking for me to sanction you anyway,” Felix motioned his hand dismissively.

Adrien wavered for a moment or two before sighing and jumping over the small stone wall. 

“Knew you'd see it my way,” Felix grinned, ruffling Adrien's hair. “C'mon, my house is a few streets away.”

On the other side of the courtyard, Chloe raised a hand to wave at Adrien and paused when she saw who he was with. She jabbed Sabrina in the ribs and hissed, “Who's that?”

“I don't know,” Sabrina glanced up. 

“It's his brother, probably,” Alya suggested. 

Chloe watched the pair turn around the corner and her expression soured. 

 

*

 

The building was patchy and slightly sad looking, and way past its prime. The green paint peeled in strips and the windows were cracked. Felix unlocked it with a quick motion and let the door drift open. He spread his arms dramatically, “Welcome to my humble abode!” 

Adrien tried not to look disapproving and instead gave what he hoped was a cheery smile. “It's… nice.” 

“Oh my brother, so kind,” Felix held the door open for him, “It's a shit-hole is what it is. But it's a cheap one.” 

The inside smelled of dust but wasn't terrible. The carpet was a kind of grey, and the walls were bare. A small kitchen unit was pushed into the wall next to an old fridge. Aside from a few boxes, there was no furniture. 

“So you're living here, now?” Adrien asked, taking a cautious seat on the edge of a box. 

“For now,” Felix stretched. When he lifted his arms Adrien caught a glimpse of something bright yellow around his wrist but it was gone too quickly to see properly. 

Adrien took a deep breath. “And… why are you here?” 

“...A lot of reasons,” Felix tilted his head a little. His lashes were so pale they looked almost invisible, and with his head tilted they glowed in the sunlight. The resemblance to their father was striking. His dark eyes considered Adrien for a long moment, and then, suddenly, he straightened. “Do you want tea?” 

“What? Oh, no thanks,” Adrien shook his head to clear his thoughts. 

Felix padded over to the sink and filled the kettle. He fished out a teabag from under the sink. “I'm not here to steal our father's money, if that's what you're thinking, even if it _would_ be nice to have some more disposable income. I—...”

Adrien looked back at him. Felix's shoulders were stiff.

“I can't… I can't take her money like that,” He said, quietly, his voice almost lost to the whistling of the kettle. He poured hot water over the teabags, and set the kettle back onto the ring. He stirred the tea and dropped the bag in the sink, “It wouldn't be right.” 

Felix walked over and sat opposite Adrien. His eyes were dark and calm. 

“Did you come back to talk to dad?” Adrien asked, quietly. 

“No.” Felix raised an eyebrow, “I mean,” he scrubbed a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up oddly, “I don't know.”

Adrien watched his brother carefully. 

“Believe it or not, I thought I was helping him,” Felix took a log sip of tea, “After mum vanished, he shut down completely. He wasn't the same anymore, not at all. I thought if I could get him angry enough, I might be able to get him to realise what he was feeling, to really face the loss. To snap him out of it. But now I realise I was probably just taking out my frustration on him,” Felix drained the rest of his mug and stared into it. “The trouble is the things I said… I don't think I could be forgiven for.” 

Adrien bit his lip. “You could try.” 

“Pardon?”

“You could try, you know, asking him for forgiveness. It might help him,” Adrien said. 

Felix looked at him incredulously and smirked, “Have you—have you _met_ our father? No, Gabriel would much, much rather I just winked out of existence. Not that he wants me _dead_ , just... out of sigh, out of mind, if you know what I mean. These past few years have probably been the happiest of his life.” 

Adrien tried hard to stop himself from frowning. There was... _something_ about Felix. An edge, almost, lying just under the surface. A darkness that hung around his pale features. 

“I know what you're thinking; if not that, then what?” Felix straightened up and lifted his wrist, on it, a yellow moon hung from a chain. “This is my miraculous.” 

“Miraculous?!” Adrien blinked wildly as his thoughts tried to keep up, “Then you're Monsieur B!”

A yellow kwami shot out of Felix's jacket, dark eyes glittering. “Yup,” It said, “Got it in one!” 

 

*

 

The night air sent a chill down Ladybug's spine. She leapt over the rooftops and sprinted across the skyline, throwing out her yo-yo to cross gaps too large to jump. For all that her suit was tough and versatile, it wasn't particularly insulating. 

The night sky was beautiful, a deep, rich violet like black panther fur, smooth and faultless. The city glowed under her, windows like dotted Christmas lights. 

She was worried about being too tired at school tomorrow, but more than that she was excited about talking to Monsieur again. Although she knew she could talk to Master Fu if she wanted to know something about the kwami, it was different to have an older superhero around. She wondered if she could get him to teach her something about it. For the longest time it had just been her and Chat Noir trying to figure things out on their own. 

Ladybug landed soundlessly and darted through the dark streets, spotting Monsieur B sitting in one of the knots of metal at the Eiffel tower's base. He stood out like a sore thumb, glowing amber in the street-lights beside him. 

She made her way through the crowd, keeping her eyes fixed on the bee, and with a start she realised Chat was with him, nearly invisible in the dark shadows. And Chat, he… looked happy. It wasn't that he was unhappy usually, just that now, cradled in the thick metalwork of the tower, there was a sort of energy about him, he talked animatedly with his eyes bright and gesturing wildly. 

The bee noticed her in the crowd and gestured for her to climb up. 

“Hey, Ladybug!” Chat turned his blinding grin on her and she couldn't help but smile back. 

The bee gave a little wave. 

“I was just telling F—Monsieur B about one of the akuma we defeated,” Chat grinned. 

“The Horrificator sounds like a nasty piece of work,” Monsieur noted mildly. 

“She wasn't too hard,” Ladybug settled onto the cold metalwork, and then she frowned, “Monsieur B, if you don't fight akumas, what do you fight?” 

“Ah,” Monsieur leant back against the beam, “Well, the kwamis were originally used to keep the peace. For many years Stuttgart, which is where I studied, was ravaged by a band of vicious criminals, as well as a wide collection of gangs and small-time thugs. The respected university I studied at became nearly deserted and a lot of the professors left. And—well, the press and the authorities ignored it, but many of the large rogues used magic.”

“Magic!” Chat yelped. 

Monsieur frowned at him, “The things you've seen and magic is still hard to believe?”

“And the kwamis—they're supposed to protect against magic?” Ladybug pressed. “And this... magic causes harm?” 

Monsieur shrugged, “Magic isn't really easy to explain. It's not evil on its own, it's just humans aren't really designed for it, is all. Fae—the kwami and other creatures that are inherently magic—change as the situation change, their whole _personality_ and _being_ changes. A human's nature is more like stone and earth than water or wind, so it forces magic to change instead.” 

Ladybug frowned and nodded. 

“So you defeated the criminals?” Chat asked, “Like a superhero?” 

Monsieur smiled, “Yes, but it wasn't that simple. A lot of the time, it was just me against a whole bunch of them. The suit made me invulnerable but it didn't take much to overwhelm me. You guys are lucky, having a partner.” 

Chat beamed. 

Ladybug shifted her feet under her so she leant comfortably against the metal, mood light, “You must have some stories to tell though.” 

Monsieur stretched out his wings behind him. Orange light glowed through the membrane. “There was this one time...” 

 

*

 

Adrien woke up with a groan, to loud knocking on his door. Reluctantly, he dug himself out from under his covers and padded to the door. His arms felt like lead weights had been strapped to them and when he walked it felt like he was dragging a ball and chain. 

He rested his hand on the doorknob, glancing back at his bedside clock. He'd only been asleep for two hours. With a sigh he opened the door. 

“Good morning Adrien,” Nathalie stepped back from the doorway, “The photo-shoots after school have been cancelled, since the photographer has called in sick. And you'll be happy to know your brother has been dealt with.” 

“Dealt with?” Adrien echoed, rubbing his eyes frantically. 

“Evicted,” Nathalie said, “The house he'd been living was practically in ruins, your father managed to pull some strings and get it condemned.” 

“What—why?” Adrien yelped. 

“Why? Your brother is a violent delinquent,” Nathalie shook her head, “We should be thankful he's taken your mother's maiden name, but if he got into any more fights he could still seriously damage your father's reputation. Now, you have school in an hour or so, so I suggest you start getting ready.”

Adrien closed the door on her with a sigh. 

 

*

 

Felix watched the huge clock suspended over the indoor bridge with a relaxed sort of annoyance. Daylight strained through the gridlike windows, competing with the sickly yellow lighting from the ceiling. The air smelt like coffee and cheap pastries and the nasty, underlying smell of detergent.

Felix checked the timetable for the fiftieth time before scribbling down some times in a notebook. 

“Felix!” 

Felix jumped and spun around, catching sight of his younger brother making his way through the thick crowd. Adrien panted heavily, grabbing his knees, before fixing his brother with a bright, determined look. Guilt gnawed at Felix's stomach but he pushed it down. 

“You don't have to leave,” Adrien said quickly, “My— _our_ —father might _seem_ emotionless and cold but he does have a heart. I'm sure we could convince him to let you stay. There are other apartments!” 

“No, Adrien...” Felix sighed. “It's not like that. I have to leave.” 

“But—”Adrien squirmed, “But you just got here! Can't you stay a little longer?” 

“I'm sorry,” Felix said, eyes bright, “I really am. I came here to see if the trouble you were facing—you and ladybug—would be too much to handle. But you two are capable. I have no doubt you'll manage to defeat Hawkmoth one day, once and for all. I have responsibilities back in Germany, and you two don't need my help. You are plenty strong.” 

“It's not your help I want, Felix,” Adrien said, quietly. He watched Felix, his eyes shinning. “It's been years, Felix. Years. I hardly remember you.” Adrien scrubbed his eyes viciously, “You can't just drop in and—you can't just...” 

Felix engulfed him a hug. 

“I'm sorry,” Felix said again, “I can't stay right now. But I can make time around your birthday, and Christmas. And I'll visit whenever I have spare time.” 

Adrien huffed a laugh, wiping his tears on Felix's scarf. “Thanks,” he said quietly. 

Felix smiled, drawing away. He tugged his suitcase closer and glanced at the huge clock. “My train is coming soon so...” 

“Yeah,” Adrien rubbed his eyes, “See you soon, brother.” 

Felix grinned giving him a little wave, “Until we meet again.” 

Adrien smiled and waved back. He watched his brother disappear into the crowd, swallowed by the churn of people.


End file.
